Bougainvillea libertatis plant named ‘Liberty Flame’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Bougainvillea  particularly distinguished from other  Bougainvillea  plants by its variegated leaf, flowering coloration, and upright to spreading woody growth habit. The leaves have a definite and distinct variegation of light and dark green; and its leaves and bracts have an attractive flowering coloration.

Latin name: Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Bougainvillea libertatis, a member of the Nyctaginaceae family, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Liberty Flame’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bougainvillea plant, hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Liberty Flame’.

The new Bougainvillea is a naturally occurring branch mutation of a Bougainvillea ‘Torch Glow’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,349. The new Bougainvillea was discovered and selected by the inventor from within a population of plants in a controlled, residential environment in Cave Creek, Ariz. May, 2006. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive, variegated leaf, floral coloration and bushy growth habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings in Cave Creek, Ariz. since May, 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Bougainvillea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW PLANT

Plants of the cultivar, ‘Liberty Flame’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Phenotypic characteristics may very somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and or light intensity without, however, any variance in the genotype.

The variegated leaves been repeatedly observed and are determined to be one of the unique characteristics of ‘Liberty Flame’.

Plants of the new Bougainvillea are most similar to plants of the parent, Bougainvillea ‘Torch Glow’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,349. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cave Creek, Ariz. plants of the new Bougainvillea differed primarily from plants of parent selection primarily in the leaf variegation. The plants also differ in leaf structure and growth habits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the color is as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical descriptions, which accurately describes the colors of the new Bougainvillea.

FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view illustrating a typical 6 month old plant of ‘Liberty Flame’ grown in containers in an outdoor nursery.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view illustrating typical inflorescence with some leaves of ‘Liberty Flame’.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view illustrating typical developing flowers and bracts of ‘Liberty Flame’.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show close-up views illustrating typical developing leaves, flowers and bracts of ‘Liberty Flame’.

FIG. 6 shows a side perspective view illustrating the variation of leaf variegation.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Bougainvillea cultivar based upon observation of the plants grown in an outdoor nursery in Cave Creek, Ariz. The color designations stated herein have been determined by a comparison of samples of the new Bougainvillea cultivar to the R.H.S. Colour Chart, published by The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England, 1995 Edition. The color references used herein refer to such Chart, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations were made from approximately 6 month-old plants grown outdoors at daytime temperatures ranging from 7° C. to 38° C., nighttime low temperatures of about 0° C., and grown in 25.4 cm containers of 5 gallon capacity.

-   Botanical classification: Bougainvillea libertatis CULTIVAR ‘LIBERTY     FLAME’. -   Origin and parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of     Bougainvillea ‘Torch Glow’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,349. -   Locality where grown and observed: Cave Creek, Ariz. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to rooting.—Seven to ten days during summer months.         -   Rooting habit.—Fibrous and freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Upright to spreading woody growth habit;             branches grow to about a half meter.         -   Plant height.—About a half meter from soil level to top of             plant plane.         -   Plant width/spread.—About a half meter.         -   Growth rate.—About moderate to rapid.         -   Stem description.—Diameter ranges from about ¼ centimeter to             about ½ centimeter. Internode length ranges from about ⅛             centimeter to about 1 centimeter. Color: Young branches are             purplish-green and minutely puberulent. As branches mature             they turn reddish-brown (ranging from greyed brown 199A to             greyed orange 177C and finally medium-gray-brown (greyed             green 197D with striations of grey orange 177A) Plant             produces a stout, conical thorn, nearly 1 cm long, in axil             of each leaf above the node. The mature thorn appears             similar in color to the mature bark while the immature thorn             resembles the color of the petiole. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Single, alternate.         -   Amount.—Very Dense.         -   Size.—Largest leaves length: about 3.5 cm. Width: about 2.25             cm.         -   Color.—Variegation is lightest along the margin of the leaf             with variable speckling or spotting throughout the entire             leaf. Variegation typically becomes darker approaching the             center of the leaf. Leaf colors range from yellow-green 144A             to yellow-green 146C, and vary less while maturing. Young             leaves are variegated on their upper surface with             yellow-green 154D along the leaf margin. Mature leaves are             variegated with color ranging from about yellow-green 154C             to about yellow-green 154B along the leaf margin. The lower             surface (of both young and mature foliage) exhibits the same             coloration, but is notably less bright and less prominent.             The lower surface leaf color is 146C with variegation color             of 150D. Venation is lighter than the leaf surface most             notably along the midrib where the color appears similar to             the petiole.         -   Shape.—Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Texture.—Smooth upper surface. Lower surface minutely             puberulent along midrib.         -   Petiole.—Lighter green than leaf surface, it is yellow green             146C, similar in color to venation. Minutely puberulent.             Ranging from 0.5 cm to a little over 1 cm long on a mature             leaf. -   Flower description:     -   -   Arrangement.—The floral unit is represented by a             three-flowered umbel arranged in axillary cymes with showy             and colorful bracts. These cymes are borne in the axils of             almost all leaves from near the apex of the branch to five             to twenty centimeters down the branch. The inflorescence has             three flowers, which are borne on the upper surface of the             bract.         -   Bracts.—Bracts subtend each flower, and the pedicel is fused             to the midrib of the bract. The upper surface of the bracts             is red-purple 60D, with darker venation. The largest bracts             are about 2.5 cm long and about 2 cm wide. The shape is             ovate, with an acute apex and a rounded base. Venation is             pinnate and distinct.         -   Peduncle and pedicel.—The peduncle subtends the bracts and             divides into three pedicels. The peduncle and pedicel are             greyed purple 187B to 187C and are minutely puberulent. The             peduncle averages 0.8 cm in length. The pedicel averages 0.4             cm in length.         -   Flower and perianth tube.—Flower is salver-shaped. The             perianth is fused and tubular with the color grayed-orange             176B approximately 1.5 cm in length and the tube 0.25 cm in             diameter at its broadest point. The tube is 5 angled and the             limb terminates in a five adaxially papillate lobe             (approximately 0.5 cm in diameter) with a color of             green-white 157B.         -   Stamens.—Not visible, enclosed within calyx, extending             almost entirely the length of the perianth. Five to ten.             Anthers are yellow.         -   Pistil.—Not visible, enclosed within perianth, extending             almost entirely the length of the perianth tube. Single.             Lateral with brush like stigma near apex. -   Fruits and seeds: Under commercial production conditions to date,     the new Bougainvillea has not been observed to produce seeds or     fruit. -   Disease/pest resistance: Under commercial production conditions to     date, plants of the new Bougainvillea have not been observed to be     especially resistant to pathogens or pests common to Bougainvillea. 

1. A new and distinct variety of Bougainvillea plant, having the latin name Bougainvillea libertatis, and cultivar name ‘Liberty Flame’, substantially as herein shown and described. 